A recent long and tense day at Kalamazoo's Loy Norrix High School ended
with the arrest of five students on criminal weapons charges. According
to a police report about the incident a 16-year-old boy, who was one of
the students who was arrested, is accused of stealing a gun from his father.
Fearful his mother would find the gun, the boy gave the weapon to another
16-year-old friend for safekeeping.

On the morning of March 17, the two teens were in a high school bathroom
where they were exchanging the gun when it went off. Prior to the incident,
a police officer at the school had received a tip that the teen who stole
the gun had brought the weapon to school. In an attempt to hide the gun
after it accidentally discharged, the weapon was handled and passed between
five different students before officers found the gun in one student's
backpack at the end of the school day.

When police questioned the 16-year-old boy about why he had the weapon,
he admitted to taking it from his father to use for protection against
rival gang members. He also broke down in tears upon questioning and admitted
that it was "stupid" to bring the gun to school. All five of
the students who are believed to have played a role in lying to and evading
police and hiding the gun were arrested and currently face criminal charges
related to carrying a concealed weapon on school property.

The teens, two of whom are age 15 and three who are age 16, have all been
suspended from school and "are awaiting expulsion hearings."
For these teens, this one incident and their lack of judgment will likely
have significant repercussions. Teens who face criminal charges often
fail to understand the consequences that may result. Additionally, if
the teens are kicked out of school, it's possible that one or more
may never graduate.

Juveniles and teens are prone to make mistakes and, if given the chance,
it's through those mistakes that they grow and learn to make better
choices. Teens who face criminal charges would be wise to contact a criminal
defense attorney who can defend his or her rights and work to get criminal
charges dismissed or reduced.

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